William Hill set to close around 700 betting shops with 4,500 staff at risk

William Hill said of its store closure plans: "This follows the Government's decision to reduce the maximum stake on B2 gaming products to £2 on 1 April 2019.

Around 4,500 jobs are at risk at bookmaker William Hill after it announced plans to axe 700 betting shops across the UK.

The group warned a “large number of redundancies” are expected and it has begun consultation meetings with the 4,500 affected staff.